The variant technical briefing also includes updated analysis on Omicron BA.2, currently the dominant variant in the UK. Of symptomatic cases, loss of smell and taste was found to be more common in people who tested positive for Delta than those who had Omicron. As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. There will be no other categorisation of variants, including no variant under investigation (VUI) category. A NEW Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant is spreading across Ireland and is the most infectious strain yet. B.1.1.529 has a large number of mutations in the gene coding for the spike protein, and also in other parts of the viral genome. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This analysis excludes individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infection. Here is what we know about it. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. While prevalence remains high, make sure to wear your mask in indoor settings and take a lateral flow test before meeting others. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI). "It's important to know and recognize all of the. Runny nose. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case, their close contacts will be contacted and advised to isolate for 10 days and to take a test. An important question is whether BA.2 or BA.3 will become a new dominating "variant of concern". Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest Variant Technical Briefing. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. UKHSA has also published analyses related to the original Omicron strain BA.1. The risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 is greatest when someone who is infected is physically close to, or sharing an enclosed or poorly ventilated space with, other people. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor for UKHSA, said: Ongoing variant analysis is an important part of our pandemic response. Face coverings in crowded indoor spaces and hand washing will help to reduce transmission of infection and are especially important if you have any respiratory symptoms. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. Everyone should complete a primary course as soon as possible for most this will be a first and second dose. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. UKHSAis acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. It is never too late to come forward for your first dose and its vital that everyone comes forward to get boosted now as we head into the new year. UKHSA is monitoring this closely. A second BTN162b2 booster was previously found to be 52% and 72% effective in preventing Omicron BA.1 infection and hospitalization, respectively, in adults 60 years. In its early days, the variant caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africathey went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. It is not clear where BA.2 originated, but it was first detected in the Philippines in November. This analysis found that the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission with Omicron (testing for symptomatic or asymptomatic infection) was approximately half of that for Delta, while the risk of hospital admission alone with Omicron was approximately one-third of that for Delta. A booster dose was associated with a 74% reduced risk of hospitalisation in the first 2 to 4 weeks after vaccination, with the figure dropping to 66% 10 weeks or more after this dose. Lower back pain. UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing can be found on GOV.UK. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. There are insufficient severe cases of Omicronas yetto analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is more likely to be sustained, particularly after a booster. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family. However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: We are learning to live with this virus and thanks to our world-leading surveillance system we can rapidly detect and carefully monitor any genetic changes to COVID-19. UKHSA continues to monitor and study variants of SARS-CoV-2 closely and is working with academic partners to rapidly assess the significance of the lineages BA.4 and BA.5. According to Baric, Omicron is the first SARS-CoV-2 variant to evolve in the context of mounting immunity in the populationthe result of vaccines and prior infection with other forms of the . Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible. While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. 1. Wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, to ensure we all help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. This analysis is not an assessment of hospital severity, which will take further time to assess. What we know is that it is certainly growing as a proportion of overall cases in the UK. We have started to see cases where there are no links to travel, suggesting that we have a small amount of community transmission. moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of . Under the new system, the variant of concern (VOC) label will be assigned to variants which are currently emerging or circulating, and which the following characteristics can be confirmed or predicted: 1. SUMMARY : The basics of the Omicron sub-variant, the BA.5, which is currently the majority in France: BA.5 is more contagious than BA.2 (January wave), which was itself more contagious than BA.1 and even more than Delta (variant 2021). Read about our approach to external linking. Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 have also been identified in Scotland, with 4 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 2 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. So, like the original omicron strain (BA.1), the primary symptoms of a mild BA.2 infection are a cough, fever, fatigue and possible loss of taste or smell. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. Getty Images BA.2 was. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. This is still a very small number of cases but is being investigated carefully to understand whether it is related to travel, any other variant or whether there is evidence of spread of Omicron beginning in the community. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. It is one for the scientists to watch, rather than for the public to be alarmed about at this stage. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Anewrisk assessment for OmicronVOC-21NOV-01 (B.1.1.529)has also been published and is available here. However, it should serve as objective evidence that this pandemic is not over. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. That contrasts to Denmark, where it has become dominant. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly. Delta remains the predominant variantin England, accounting for over 99% of all COVID-19 cases. Currently, approximately half of all tests conducted in the UK are able to detect SGTF. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 5. 34 Subsequent studies that were performed in periods when a mix of BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 viruses circulated have reported low effectiveness of a second booster against . So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change. The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. Follow the latest self-isolation rules if you develop symptoms wear a mask where required to do so, take regular LFD tests and observe good hand hygiene. Its not too late to catch up if youve missed boosters, or even first doses so please take your recommended vaccines. You can change your cookie settings at any time. The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. BA.2 is estimated to account for approximately 93.7% of cases in England, with the highest prevalence in the South East (96.4%) and the lowest in the East Midlands (91.1%). If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. BA.2, also coined as the "stealth" variant, is a relative of Omicron's original variant, BA.1, which tore through the Australian community over Christmas and the New Year period. "Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not seeing any higher bumps in hospitalisation than expected," the WHO's Dr Boris Pavlin says. Booster jabs are protecting people against infection and severe disease so I urge you to play your part in our national mission and get boosted now. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 8 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 5 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. Positive tests with sufficient virus detected from people arriving in the UK are sent for confirmation through Whole Genome Sequencing, regardless of the presence or absence of SGTF. Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. However, UKHSA scientists say there is no room to be complacent. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain. There are simple things you can do in your daily life that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at highest risk. A further case has been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 10. As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. While BA.1 and BA.2 are similar, they are 20 mutations apart. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. More detail will be available in UKHSAs regular variant technical briefings. UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, in partnership with scientific and public health organisations across the world. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. Analysis shows that protection against symptomatic disease 2 to 4 weeks after a booster dose ranges from around 65% to 75%, dropping to 55% to 65% at 5 to 9 weeks and 45% to 50% 10 weeks or more following the booster dose. Further studies are underway in the UK and abroad. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. Headache. Xi Jinping is unveiling a new deputy - why it matters, Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Studies have already shown that this virus travels to different parts of the body, therefore gut-related issues are. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: The reclassification of these variants as variants of concern reflects emerging evidence on the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 internationally and in the UK. The early observations for 2 doses of AstraZeneca are particularly likely to be unreliable as they are based on small numbers and are likely to reflect an older population and a population with more co-morbidities than those given the Pfizer vaccine. But it is worth noting that Denmark has seen similar trends in terms of hospital admissions and intensive care as the UK has, suggesting BA.2 does not mark a sea-change in severity. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 75 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 29 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. As with other kinds of variant, most will die off relatively quickly. The latest version raising alarms is an emerging subvariant of Omicron called BA.2. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. There is insufficient data to make any assessment of protection against severe disease, or to assess the severity of illness caused by Omicron. Spector shared a list of symptom prevalence from people who had tested positive for COVID, most of whom were estimated to have caught BA.2, he said. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing an updated Omicron risk assessment, alongside analysis on vaccine efficacy, sub-lineages and symptoms. India is another country where BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variant, according to molecular biologist Bijaya Dhakal.
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